Bell-rod mounting for blast furnaces



March 9 1926.

A. s. M KEE BELL ROD MOUNTING FOR BLAST FURNACES Filed Oct. 4,, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 L 0 m n. 2 m G P U M y B 7 firglz li l Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

UNITED STATE-S v 1,576,444." PATENT OFF-ICE.

ARTHUR G. MoKEE, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T ARTHUR G. MOKEE & GOM- IPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

BELL-ROD MOUNTING FOR BLAST FURNACES.

Application-filed October 4, 1924. Serial No. 741,692.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR G. MoKnn, a citizen of the United States, and a residentof Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Bell-Rod Mountings for Blast Furnaces, of whichthe following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

Blast furnaces of modern design are generally equipped with two superposed hop- 1 pers at the top of the stack for charging material into the latter, such hoppers being controlled by corresponding axially aligned bells. In the most modern equipment, moreover, the upper hopper with its correspond ing bell closure is'rotatably supportedv on the lower and larger hopper in order to facilitate the uniform distribution of the various materials which are initially received in such upper hopper, all as fully set forth in my prior Patents No. 864,795, dated September 3, 1907, and No. 890,569 dated June 9, 1908. i

As indicated, the present improvements have to do with the mountings for the bells that form the closures for the aforesaid hoppers, and more particularly with the mounting for the bell associated with the upper hopper or distributor as it is called. The latterbeing rotatable, as just explained, it becomes necessary to provide not only a mounting for the closure to said distributor that may be raised and lowered, but also one that will permit free rotative movement of said closure when raised.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in whilch the principle of the invention may be use In said annexed drawings 2-- V Fig. 1 is a central vertical section of the upper part of a blast furnace stack, includ ing the two superposed hoppers, the bell closures for said hoppers and the mountings for the latter; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of such mounting, viewing the same from the left as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section on a larger scale of a detail of the mounting for the upper or small bell rod; and Fig. 4 is a broken plan View, with parts in section, of the mounting shown in Fig. 3.

In Fig. 1, only the upper converging part or top 1 of the furnace stack is shown. On such top is supported an approximately cylindrical hopper 2, the lower or discharge opening 3 of which is closed by a conical bell 4, suspended from a rod 5. Rotatably mounted on top of hopper 2 is a second hopper 6, vertically co-axi'al with said first mentioned hopper and having its lower or discharge opening 7 closed by a smaller coaxial hell 8, suspended from a hollow rod 9 through whose interior the rod'5 extends upwardly. The particular manner in which the upper hopper or distributor is thus rotatably mounted on the cover or cap 10 of the lower hopper is a matter of indifference, so far as the present invention'is concerned, an annular ball bearing 11 being shown as provided for this purpose. Similarly, the drive mechanism 12 for thus rotating distributor 6 as desired is merely typical.

The other accessory features of the charging mechanism shown in Fig. 1, including the receiving spout 13, skip bucket 14 and the double arm levers or walking beams 15 and 16, whereby the bell rods 5 and9 are respectively reciprocated, are substantially the same as shown in U. S. Patent No. 1,288,- 948, issued to me under date of December 24,1918. In other words, the improvements to which-attention is herein directed reside wholly in the construction of the mounting for the rod 9 for the small: bell 8.

This rod, which, as previously stated, is of tubular construction, is desirably made of two semi cyl-indrical parts, held together by means of rivets orbolts 17 at longitudinally spaced intervals. The upper ends of such component parts are respectively formed with semi-circular laterally projecting flanges 18 that when assembled form acontinuous flange which lies within a. circular, 105 downwardly opening recess 19 formed in the lower enlargedend of a housing in the form of a vertically split, cylindrical cast ing 20. The rod 5 for the lower bell 4 passes through the central opening in such casting 20 and thence down through the tubular rod 9, and such casting is formed with two oppositely directed ears 20 to which are connected the lower ends of a pair of rods 21, one lying on each side of the upper por tion of said rod 9,, such rods 21 serving to connect the casting and thus the tubular rod with the walking beam 16.

Secured to the under side of the laterally projecting portion of casting 20' by means of a series of circumferentially spaced bolts 22 is a ring 23 that is formed with an inwardly projecting ledge 24'. such ledge underlying the flange 18 on the upper end of tubular rod 9. In order that said ring 23 may be assembled about the rod, it is formed in two halves and these are secured together by means of bolts 25 that pass through matched pairs of ears 26 projecting clownwardly from the under side of the ring. Interposed between ledge 24 and the under face of flange 18.is a ball bearing made up of an upper race 27, a lower race 28 and a plurality of balls 29 that are held in the opposed grooves formed in said rings so as not only to provide a rotatable support for the tubular rod 9, but also to maintain the latter in proper alignment As best shown in Fig. 4, the bottom of the groove in such lower ball race 28'is intersected by a series of circumferentially spaced apertures 30 that flare downwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, and at corresponding points the ledge 24 is cut away or notched to provide openings 31. Any dust or grit that tends to accumulate in the groove in the lower ball race will accordingly be permitted to drop through the apertures 80 and aligned openings 31 and so prevent the ball race from becomingclogge It will be further noted from an examination of Fig. 3 that the upper face of the lower race 28 is cut away or beveled both on the inside and the outside of the groove in which the balls track; also, that the ring is not held closely against the underside of housing 20 but is instead spaced therefrom by the tubular projections 32 through which pass the bolts 22. Full opportunity is thus afforded for dust or grit, that otherwise would collect in the bearing, to drop away and leave the bearing free running at all times;

The foregoing'mountingfor-the tubular bell rod, from which is supported the small or upperbell closure for the distributor, it williaccordingly'be seen not only provides for the free rotativemovement of such rod, and thus of the closure, as is necessary when the latter is raised against the distributor and rotative movement imparted to such distributor, but the rod will at the: same time beheld in perfect alignment as isessential' not only to permit free vertical movement oiqthe rod 5 that supports the lower hell, 4',

but also to insure close fitting contact oi bell 8 with, the discharge opening 7 of the distributor. By making the ball bearing, whereby the tubular bell rod is thus sup ported, self-cleaning with respect to any dust or grit that tends to collect therein, the mounting is assured a long life with a. minimum of attention.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained. change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, pro vided the means stated by any oi the following claims or the equivalent oi such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and dis tinetly claim as my invention 1. The combination with a rotatable sup porting rod; of a mounting for the upper end of said rod. said mounting including a laterally projecting circular flange on such rod end. an externally supported housing formed with a circular recess wherein such flange is received. av ring attached to such housing and formed with a ledge underlying the flange on said rod end, and a laterally open ball bearing between said ledge and flange, space being left between said ring and housing for the escape of dust and grit from said ball bearing.

2. The combination with a rotatable supporting rod; of'a mounting for the upper end of said'rod, said mounting including a laterally projecting circular flange on such rod end, an externally supported housing formed with a circular recess wherein such flange is received, a ring attached to such I housing and formed with a ledge underlying the flange on said rod end, and a ball bearing between said ledge and flange, recesses being cut in such ledge for the escape of dust and grit from said ball bearing.

3. The combination with a rotatable supporting rod; of a mounting for the upper end of said rod, said mounting including a laterally projecting circular flange on such rod end, an externally supported housing formed with a circular recess wherein such flange is received, a ring attached to such housing and formed with a ledge underlying the flange on said rod end, and a laterally open ball bearing, comprising upper and lower races with interposed balls, between said ledge and flange, such lower race having a series of downwardly directed openings and such ledge-being formed to permit the escape of dust and grit from said ball bearing.

4. The combination with a rotatable supporting rod; of a mounting for the upper end of said rod. said mounting including a laterally projecting circular flange on such rod end, an externally supported housing formed with a circular recess wherein such flange is received, a ring. attached to such iii) housing and formed with a ledge underlying the flange on said rod end; and a laterally open ball bearing, comprising upper and lower races with interposed balls, between said ledge and flange, space being left both between said ring and housing and between such lower race and said rod for the escape oi dust and grit from said ball bearing.

5. The combination with a rotatable supporting rod; of a mounting for the upper end of said rod, said mounting including a laterally projecting circular flange on such rod end, an externally supported housing 1 formed with a circular recess wherein such flange 1s recelved, a ring attached to such housing and formed with a ledge underlying the flange on said rod end; and a laterally open ball bearing, comprising upper and lower races with interposed balls, between said ledge and flange, space being left both between said ring and housing and between such lower race and said rod for the escape of dust and grit from said ball bearing and the upper face of such lower race being beveled on the inside and the outside of the groove in which the balls track.

Signed by me this 1st day of October, 924;.

ARTHUR G. MoKEE. 

